Watch Dogs has hacking, gunplay in an open-world Chicago

The folks at Ubisoft Montreal are working on a new game, and it's not yet another Assassin's Creed sequel. Rather, Watch Dogs is based on fresh IP and features hacking, sleuthing, and good old fashioned gunplay in an open-world rendition of Chicago, some time in the not-too-distant future. According to the official announcement, the game's main character, Aiden Pearce, can "hack into any connected system" and turn it into a weapon. The first gameplay trailer looks rather impressive, too.

(A word of warning: the trailer contains some adult language, so be careful if you're watching it at work—or with kids in the room.)

I'm getting kind of a Deus Ex meets Assassin's Creed vibe, with a sprinkling of Grand Theft Auto. All in all, not bad. Ubisoft says the game is actually being developed by veterans of the Assassin's Creed, Rainbow 6, and Far Cry series.

Ubisoft's announcement doesn't mention platforms or a release date, but Shacknews points out that the company's press site has the game listed as a cross-platform title for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The site suspects Watch Dogs might show up on next-generation consoles, as well.